A Need Analysis on Media in Teaching English to Young Learners: Exploring Appropriateness and Advantages

This paper presents a need analysis on the use of media in teaching English to young learners especially in doing community service on teaching English to children on early ages in Toraja. The aim of the study was to assess the specific media preferences and advantages associated with incorporating media in language instruction for young learners. Through a systematic investigation, the study aimed to inform educators and curriculum developers about the appropriate media used in the English language classroom and the advantages in implementing the medias. Based on result of data analysis, it can be concluded that picture storybook, animation video, interactive games, song, and things around are very important to be used when teaching English to young learners. Regarding to the advantages, it found out that media can be beneficial to be implemented in teaching English for several reason. They are: enhancing learners' motivation, facilitating different learning style, fun and enjoyable learning experience, fostering learners' understanding, and also fostering effective and interactive learning.


Introduction
In Indonesia, English is learned as foreign language, and as a foreign language, it needs to introduced earlier.The importance of teaching English to young learners has risen to the fore in our constantly changing global environment.The benefits of early English language education for young learners are becoming clear as the globe grows more linked and English continues to be used as a common language.Additionally, it is crucial for students to learn English at a young age because exposure to the language early on is important for learning (Hashim & Yunus, 2018).Even while the best age to teach English is still up for debate (Nufus, 2019), a recent study suggests that younger ages are really better for learning a language in terms of pronunciation and exposure to speaking, which will increase their fluency and make them sound more nativelike (Jaekel et al., 2017(Jaekel et al., , 2022)).
functioning, problem-solving skills, and cognitive flexibility have all been associated to bilingualism, including English.By immersing them in English language training, young learners' cognitive development is stimulated and abilities that go well beyond language learning are fostered.
English proficiency is essential for promoting academic achievement.Recent studies have shown that students would do better academically if their English language abilities were strengthened (Waluyo & Panmei, 2021) and that each learner's level of academic success rises with their level of English proficiency (Rudd & Honkiss, 2020).A young learner who is proficient in English has access to more educational possibilities and is given the tools they need to succeed in a globalized, competitive environment.
Additionally, being able to communicate effectively and with confidence helps young students.Speaking and writing English well has been linked to higher levels of selfworth, critical thinking, and support for communication (Alek & Handayani, 2018;Gultom & Oktaviani, 2022;Sarwari et al., 2021).Young language learners gain the selfassurance and capacity to participate fully in social and professional situations as their English language skill increases.
However, it is difficult for a teacher to teach English to young learners because of their particular traits.The short attention span and difficulties with concentration that young learners encounter have been highlighted by recent study.These findings show that teachers must use sensible tactics to increase student engagement and keep them on task when studying the English language.According to research, children only have an attention span of less than 15 minutes, in contrast to adults who have a long attention span (Musthafa, 2013).According to research, preschoolers often have shorter attention spans than older kids and adults (Lillard & Peterson, 2011).Environmental distractions, like noise and visual stimulation, have been linked in another study to shorter attention spans in early learners (Ruff & Rothbart, 2001).
Teachers might benefit from the use of media when conducting lessons.The creation of abstract concepts can be aided by the media, and using the right media can enhance English teaching and learning.Through the use of media, topic material can be more carefully chosen and handled, enhancing the quality of instruction by the instructor and enabling subject material to be presented in an organized, dependable, exact, and understandable way Media plays a significant role in aiding students in developing their command of the English language and greatly assists teachers in disseminating lesson plans to level the playing field for all pupils.It has been demonstrated by earlier research.One example is the use of movie in teaching writing has a beneficial influence when used to teach English to young learners (Kusumawardhani & Nurhayati, 2019).Another study demonstrates that using music as a teaching and learning tool aids students in achieving their academic objectives while also assisting teachers in teaching English (Siregar, 2018).
In general, teachers can utilize a variety of media to teach and learn English to young students, including audio, visual, audio-visual, and the instructor themselves as a model (Sofian & Anggraeni, 2021).The media above can be derived into picture storybook, animation video, picture cards, interactive games, song, poster, online learning application and things around us.
In Indonesia, because English is taught to elementary school students as local content, teaching young learners is not easy, especially when it is conducted in a non-formal context.This issue persists on the community service conducted by students and lecturers in Torajan community.Some challenges arise, especially when teachers must provide suitable media to enhance the learning process in which several characters of children unite.
The introduction above arises a curiosity to find out the appropriate media used in teaching English and the advantages found on implementing those media.It is believed that this research would inspire teachers to make the most of media in the classroom in order to achieve effective and efficient learning goals.

Method
In collecting the data, the researcher used random sampling, in which 29 instructors of English teaching to young learners were chosen.They were lecturers and students of English Education Study Program who have participated in community service program.The instrument used to find out the appropriate media in teaching English to young learners was questionnaire and data about advantages in using media in teaching English found using an open-ended question interview to the 29 respondents of this study.
On the questionnaire, the respondents were asked to choose very important, important, unimportant, and very unimportant.The results of the questionnaire were processed quantitatively using the following formula: P = Persentation n = Number of respondents who selected a specific item N= Total respondents

Results
The outcomes of the data analysis are discussed in respect to the two primary research questions, starting by looking at how the instructors perceived the most appropriate media used in their teaching process.Then, in order to provide the advantages, the researchers provide a qualitative analysis on the next section.

Appropriate Media used in teaching English to young learners
Chart 1 Appropriate Media used in teaching English to young learners Chart 1 summarizes the participants response of their perception about the appropriate media in teaching English to young learners based on their teaching experience.The data is described as follows: 1. 93.1% participants voted very important, 3.4% voted important and unimportant on the use of picture storybook.This media gained 96.5% participants response on its' importance to be used in teaching English to young learners and categorized very important.2. 75.9% participants voted very important, 17.2% voted important, and 6.9% voted unimportant about the use of animation video.This media gained 93.1% participants response on its' importance to be used in teaching English to young learners.3. 44.8% participants voted very important, 24.1% voted important, 13.8% voted unimportant, and 17.2% voted very unimportant about the use of picture cards.This media gained 66.9% participants response on its' importance to be used in teaching English to young learners.4. 86.2% participants voted very important, 10.3% voted important, and 3.4% voted very unimportant about the use of interactive games.This media gained 96.5% participants response on its' importance to be used in teaching English to young learners.
5. 72.4% participants voted very important, 24.1% voted important, and 3.4% voted very unimportant about the use of song.This media gained 96.5% participants response on its' importance to be used in teaching English to young learners.
6. 31% participants voted very important, 37.9% voted important, 17.2% voted unimportant, and 13.8% voted very unimportant about the use of poster.This media gained 67.9% participants response on its' importance to be used in teaching English to young learners.
7. 20.7% participants voted very important, 44.8% voted important, 24.1% voted unimportant, and 10.3% voted very unimportant about the use of online learning application.This media gained 65.5% participants response on its' importance to be used in teaching English to young learners.
8. 82.8% participants voted very important, 13.8% voted important, and 3.4% voted unimportant about the use of things around.This media gained 96.6% participants response on its' importance to be used in teaching English to young learners.

Advantages of Implementing Media in Teaching English to Young Learners
Here are the results of data analysis obtained from interviews on the subject of this study about advantages in implementing media in teaching English for young learners.

Enhancing Learners Motivation
Media, such as videos, animations, and interactive games, can capture the attention and interest of young learners.This engagement helps create a positive learning environment and motivates students to actively participate in language activities.
(Children become enthusiastic about learning and increase their vocabulary faster)

Facilitating Different Learning Style
Media allows for customization and adaptation to meet individual learners' needs.Teachers can select media resources that align with students' interests, language proficiency levels, and learning styles.This personalized approach caters to diverse learners, promoting inclusivity and maximizing learning outcomes.P20 : "Pemanfaatan media yang bervariasi membantu guru untuk memfasilitasi siswa dengan gaya belajar yang berbeda" (The varied utilization of media helps teachers to facilitate students with different learning styles) P27 : "Memudahkan untuk mengajar anak dengan gaya belajar yang berbeda" (Make it easy to teach children with different learning styles)

Fun and Enjoyable Learning Experience
Using media in the classroom creates a dynamic and enjoyable learning environment.Young learners associate English learning with entertainment, leading to increased motivation, participation, and overall positive attitudes towards language learning.P15 : "membuat pembelajaran menjadi menyenangkan dan seru." (Make learning fun and exciting) P17 : "anak didik sangat senang dengan media yang digunakan karena mereka dapat melihat langsung apa yang mereka pelajari dan mengurangi rasa bosan" (Students are very happy with the media used because they can see firsthand what they learn and reduce boredom) P19 : "Pembelajaran menjadi lebih seru dan tidak monoton" (Learning becomes more exciting and less monotonous)

Fostering Learners' Understanding
Using media can effectively facilitate learners' understanding by providing visual, auditory, and interactive elements that enhance comprehension.Here are some ways in which media can be utilized for this purpose according to the respondents:

P1
: "dengan menggunakan media, dapat lebih memudahkan anak dalam mengingat setiap pembelajaran yang diberikan…" (By using media, it can make it easier for children to remember every learning given.)

P8
: "dengan menggunakan media yang ada di sekitar kita, anak-anak yang kita ajar jadi lebih cepat paham dan bisa kita jadikan contoh terbaik" (By using the media around us, the children we teach will understand faster and we can make it as the best example) P19 : "anak-anak lebih mudah memahami pelajaran" (Children more easily understand the lesson)

Fostering Effective and Interactive Learning
Using media can be instrumental in fostering effective and interactive learning experiences.Here are some ways in which media can be utilized to achieve this goal according to the answer from respondents:

Discussion
The choice of instructional media is influenced by the subject matter and the personalities of the learners.Thus, it is very important to assess the appropriateness of the media used in teaching English from those who have experienced on teaching English to young learners.This research has discovered the importance of the media in teaching English to young learners in Toraja context especially for English teaching community service.
Result of data analysis shows that picture storybook, animation video, interactive games, song, and things around as very important media to be used when teaching English to young learners.The media above gained more than 90% of participants response about its' importance.Picture card, poster and online learning application gained less than 70% of participants response on their importance.This research also found some advantages on implementing media in teaching English to young learners.Media in teaching English to young learners offers several advantages that contribute to their language learning journey.The advantages were summarized based on the result above.
Initially, media enhances learners' motivation.Media resources, with their visually appealing and interactive nature, can increase young learners' motivation to engage with English language content.The use of multimedia, games, and interactive exercises captures learners' interest and encourages active participation.A research result has proved that media can support online classes which is considered challenging, especially in teaching EFL students to improve students' motivation in learning English for Young learners (Laksmi et al., 2021).Furthermore, media facilitates different learning styles.Media accommodates various learning styles, allowing young learners to engage with content through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities.Visual learners benefit from videos and images, auditory learners from audio recordings and songs, and kinesthetic learners from interactive activities and games.As an example, it found out that the instructor can inspire their class plans in students' thoughts by using real-world examples because it caters to several learning styles, including kinesthetic, visual, and aural (Muzatha & Mohamed Riyath, 2020).
Additionally, media creates fun and enjoyable learning experience.Incorporating media in English language teaching creates a positive and enjoyable learning environment for young learners.The interactive and engaging nature of media resources can make language learning more exciting and foster a sense of enjoyment in the classroom.Take for instance, the utilization of image series has proven to promote a pleasant and engaging learning atmosphere and encouraged participation from the students throughout class activities (Taofik, 2018).
Equally important, media fosters learners' understanding.Media resources provide visual representations, authentic language use, and contextualized examples, which enhance young learners' comprehension and understanding of English language concepts.Visual media aids in visualization, while real-life examples and contextualized language use promote deeper understanding.It can be said that media has captured students' interests and stimulated their brains to think creatively and practically about how to grasp English (Rahmi, 2014).
Lastly, media fosters effective and interactive learning.Media facilitates effective and interactive learning experiences by offering multimedia presentations, gamified activities, and online collaboration platforms.These resources encourage active participation, critical thinking, and peer-to-peer interaction, resulting in a dynamic and engaging learning environment.
These advantages align with research findings on the benefits of media in teaching English to young learners.By incorporating media into English language instruction, teachers can create motivating, inclusive, and interactive learning experiences that cater to the diverse needs and preferences of young learners.

Conclusion
Based on result of data analysis, it can be concluded that picture storybook, animation video, interactive games, song, and things around are very important to be used when teaching English to young learners.Regarding to the advantages, it found out that media can be beneficial to be implemented in teaching English for some reason.They are: enhancing learners' motivation, facilitating different learning style, fun and enjoyable learning experience, fostering learners' understanding, and also fostering effective and interactive learning.